Relevance of Systems Thinking to Project Management

This portfolio discusses the relevance of systems thinking to project management and the tools and techniques for investigating and describing project processes. It also covers management strategies and operational activities to ensure safety and quality, factors for effective group processes, and effective teamwork and communication. The readings include Smith Chapters 1 & 2, Australia National Audit Office Planning and Approving Projects, and AS 4120-1994 Code of tendering. Case studies on Brisbane Airport's New Parallel Runway are also included.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Week 1 Topic: Explain the relevance of systems thinking to PM.
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Mandatory Readings
 Smith Chapters 1
& 2;
 Australia National
Audit Office -
Planning and
Approving
Projects
 AS 4120-1994
Code of tendering;
Optional Readings
 Locate your
company internal
Project
Development
Manuals (if it
exists and
available);
 You can also study
the Californian
Government
Department of
Transportation
Project
Development
Procedures;
 Download and
study the
1. Review using clear
terminology the
key areas and
processes of
project, program
and portfolio
management
practices as applies
to asset rich
organisations.
1. Project defines the process of creating any new system, structure or
the logical steps to modification of existing system. The level of
complexity of the projects depends on the requirements of the project
and the processes associated with the project. Each project follows a
life cycle. At the beginning of the project life cycle the planning and
setting objectives of the project is done (Snyder, 2014). The lifecycle
finishes at the ending of the project. There are five phases of the
project management. The project management defines the controlling
of the execution of all steps involved in the project management. These
principals of project management can be applied for the successful
compilation of the projects like development of Brisbane Airport
Parallel Runway. There are certain terms such as risk management,
opportunities and value management are associated with the project
management. The risks are the uncertainties associated with the
projects and opportunities defines the chances for the improvement
the project can get . Value management refers to the value process
during the various phases of the project management. The clear
definition of the project process along with defining the risks and
opportunities gives the logical structure along with the clear
instructions for the successful compilation of the complex project.
Snyder, C. S. (2014). A
guide to the project
management body of
knowledge: PMBOK (®)
guide. Project
Management Institute:
Newtown Square, PA,
USA.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Engineers
Australia
Infrastructure
Report Card for
your State;
Case Study
 Brisbane Airport's
New Parallel
Runway;
 YouTube:
Brisbane's New
Parallel Runway –
Overview;
 Brisbane Airport
2014 Approved
Master Plan.
Mandatory Readings
 Smith Chapters 1
& 2;
 Australia National
Audit Office -
Planning and
Approving
Projects
 AS 4120-1994
Code of tendering;
Optional Readings
 Locate your
company internal
Project
Development
2. Discuss the
relevance of tools
and techniques for
investigating and
describing project
process related to
developing new
workings, facilities,
equipment, plant
and processes for
justifying,
designing,
developing, or
maintaining
existing facilities
2. The primary objective of the project management tool is to help the
project managers to execute the steps in the process life cycle
efficiently. The project management tools refers to the PERT ,Gantt
chart, WBS. PERT is known as Program Evaluation and Review
technique (Hornstein, 2015). It helps to contribute in developing the
project along with that it also contribute in developing the work break
down structure. Gantt chart helps to show the phases of the task along
with the timeline and the resource needed for compilation of each task.
WBS denote to the Work Break Down structure, which defines the
total work divided into the different modules. The risk associated with
each module is described in the WBS.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015).
The integration of project
management and
organizational change
management is now a
necessity. International
Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), 291-
298.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Manuals (if it
exists and
available);
 You can also study
the Californian
Government
Department of
Transportation
Project
Development
Procedures;
 Download and
study the
Engineers
Australia
Infrastructure
Report Card for
your State;
Case Study
 Brisbane Airport's
New Parallel
Runway;
 YouTube:
Brisbane's New
Parallel Runway –
Overview;
 Brisbane Airport
2014 Approved
Master Plan.
and equipment
within the context
of their
technological and
asset lifecycle
status.
Mandatory Readings
 Smith Chapters 1
& 2;
3. Present and
interpret major
processes that
3.There are certain processes and the stages i the project management
development. Five stages are involved in the project life cycle. They are
project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring
Regan, M., Love, P., &
Smith, J. (2016). Whole
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
 Australia National
Audit Office -
Planning and
Approving
Projects
 AS 4120-1994
Code of tendering;
Optional Readings
 Locate your
company internal
Project
Development
Manuals (if it
exists and
available);
 You can also study
the Californian
Government
Department of
Transportation
Project
Development
Procedures;
 Download and
study the
Engineers
Australia
Infrastructure
Report Card for
your State;
Case Study
are based on
sound policy,
information,
and research
that enable
project
justification,
tenders,
contracts, and
selection
criteria to
occur in an
asset rich
organisation.
and control and closing of the project (Regan, Love & Smith,2016). The
project initiation involves with the gathering the requirement of the project,
project planning is involved with making the blue print of the execution of
the project plan, monitoring and control involves with the observing the
process of each stages of project management and the last stage is closing
of the project.
life costing of
infrastructure
investment: Economic
and social infrastructure
projects in Australia.
In Transforming the
Future of Infrastructure
through Smarter
Information-Proceedings
of the International
Conference on Smart
Infrastructure and
Construction, ICSIC (pp.
701-706).
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
 Brisbane Airport's
New Parallel
Runway;
 YouTube:
Brisbane's New
Parallel Runway –
Overview;
 Brisbane Airport
2014 Approved
Master Plan.
Mandatory Readings
 Smith Chapters 1
& 2;
 Australia National
Audit Office -
Planning and
Approving
Projects
 AS 4120-1994
Code of tendering;
Optional Readings
 Locate your
company internal
Project
Development
Manuals (if it
exists and
available);
 You can also study
the Californian
Government
Department of
4. Critically
analyse
management
strategies and
operational
activities from
a broad
perspective to
ensure safety
and quality, to
avoid overruns
or rework, to
manage
variations and
claims, and to
make decisions
to discontinue
or close
projects.
4.There are various management policies and strategies can be taken in order to
ensure the safety and quality of the service or process. Some of theses initiatives
are-
Quality and audit: In this case, a checklist is prepared and compilation of all
tasks in the checklist will ensure the quality of the service.
Safety management programs can be taken into account in order to ensure that
the processed service or product will deliver its purpose in an efficient manner
with maintaining the certain safety rules and regulations.
Reporting: This is the most crucial task in managing safety and quality of the
products and services (Chih & Zwikael,2015). The progress and status of the
process are discussed among the stakeholders so that all of them can be aware
of the process and can understand the opportunities and risks involves in the
project.
Chih, Y. Y., & Zwikael, O.
(2015). Project benefit
management: A
conceptual framework of
target benefit
formulation. Internationa
l Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), 352-
362.
5 of 9

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Transportation
Project
Development
Procedures;
 Download and
study the
Engineers
Australia
Infrastructure
Report Card for
your State;
Case Study
 Brisbane Airport's
New Parallel
Runway;
 YouTube:
Brisbane's New
Parallel Runway –
Overview;
 Brisbane Airport
2014 Approved
Master Plan.
Mandatory Readings
 Smith Chapters 1
& 2;
 Australia National
Audit Office -
Planning and
Approving
Projects
 AS 4120-1994
Code of tendering;
5. Demonstrate
an effective,
professional
level of
teamwork and
communicatio
n and support
collaborative
peer group
5.There are certain factors on which effective group process is dependent.
These factors are-
Accountability and individual responsibility: Here, all the stakeholders and the
team members of the project will agree on the way of doing a task
(Hornstein,2015).
Feedback: Giving and receiving feedback helps to evaluate the performance of
the team as well as the individuals of the team. The acknowledgment of the
good work can boost up the confidence of the team and motivate the team to
do better work.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015).
The integration of project
management and
organizational change
management is now a
necessity. International
Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), 291-
298.
6 of 9

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Optional Readings
 Locate your
company internal
Project
Development
Manuals (if it
exists and
available);
 You can also study
the Californian
Government
Department of
Transportation
Project
Development
Procedures;
 Download and
study the
Engineers
Australia
Infrastructure
Report Card for
your State;
Case Study
 Brisbane Airport's
New Parallel
Runway;
 YouTube:
Brisbane's New
Parallel Runway –
Overview;
learning. Defining the roles: The team leader should aware of his or her responsibility
along with that the team leader should define the roles of individuals team
members in the group. The clear definition of the role will help each of the
member in the team to do the specified work effectively. This will lead to an
effective team work.
7 of 9

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
 Brisbane Airport
2014 Approved
Master Plan.
References
Chih, Y. Y., & Zwikael, O. (2015). Project benefit management: A conceptual framework of target benefit formulation. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2),
352-362.
Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), 291-298.
Regan, M., Love, P., & Smith, J. (2016). Whole life costing of infrastructure investment: Economic and social infrastructure projects in Australia. In Transforming the Future
of Infrastructure through Smarter Information-Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Infrastructure and Construction, ICSIC (pp. 701-706).
Snyder, C. S. (2014). A guide to the project management body of knowledge: PMBOK (®) guide. Project Management Institute: Newtown Square, PA, USA.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20013Unit Portfolio for Week 1
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